I very much enjoy having "Hot Lips" in our garden.

See here @Jameszone7a Philadelphia for a good discussion of this plant.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1613302/chelone-turtlehead-good-or-bad#15704839

I've had several in a shady garden in Connecticut for three years. It does quite well, comes back larger each year, and it does not seem to require constant moisture, as it gets the same amount of water or less as everything else. The stems are strong enough to survive winter and add some visual interest, so I wait until spring to cut them down. It's not my favorite plant or a showstopper, but it's low maintenance and nice enough.

I have Chelone hotlips but lyonii isn't native to Illinois or Pensylvania. Chelone obliqua is native to Illinois and Pensylvania and it performs much better than lyonii. Forget names and look at species. My hotlips does terrible. I'd bet the straight species Chelone lyonii is a superior plant compared to it. Bear in mind the 2 good reports came from colder areas.

I have "Hot Lips" for I don't even remember how long. It is a stellar performer. Foliage is impeccable. Is in a brightly shady area at this house, not a particuarly moist spot.

Not in bloom yet, but you can see how nice the foliage is (foliage is important to me -- if it looks ratty, forget about it):

I had Cheloni glabra (the white one) -- note the word had; it was a mildewy mess every year so I ripped it out.

I have had chelone hot lips for 3 or 4 years. It has been through demanding weather--last summer's drought and last winter's temperatures down to 3 degrees and its foliage always

looks good--very little supplemental water and no mildew either. I do find that it likes to move

around. This year it is keeping close company with a hosta in the same flowerbed.

I've had very good results with 'Hot Lips' here in upstate NY over the last few years. In full sun, it definitely seems to want consistent moisture, but in shadier spots, it hasn't needed much supplemental water, even during the hottest/driest stretches of summer. It also form good-sized clumps very quickly (and divides easily).

I've also had the same experience as @porkchop_z5b_MI with C. glabra, which is the only native Chelone in New York: it becomes a splaying, mildew-covered mess by midsummer, and I've removed most of the plants I have.

I've had Hot Lips for well over 10 years up here in MN, part shade and sandy soil and has done well. Surprisingly drought tolerant actually. It does take up some real estate.

I have several of the 'hot lips' chelone plants in one of the shadier and damper parts of my yard. I'm not very impressed. It doesn't start blooming until September for me, runs until frost, completely disappears in the winter, and is late to emerge in the spring. It was interesting to hear about the Chelone obliqua, which was new to me. I looked it up on the Missouri Botanical Garden,  which says that it starts blooming in July. Maybe that's true in Missouri?

^^ those look good!

Very pretty. I only have Chelone glabra because it is the only one native to me in Northern Virginia. I would love one like yours, though, if I weren't doing only natives now.

Very pretty! Does this plant behave, if you know what I mean?

debra

"Does this plant behave, if you know what I mean?"

It isn't invasive, if that's what you mean. "Hot Lips" will form good-sized clumps over time, but it stays clumped and is easily divided, if needed. I've never noticed re-seeding, and I've had these plants a very long time.

Well behaved for me ! It did fill out the spot more than I expected but I figured I could divide it if need be. Also no reseeding. There is a white one also but from what I read most prefer the pink.